There He is
by Sadame X
Summary: Sakura, a candidate to be Clow's Handmaiden, was given a test by the Four Guardians to see if she is worthy: she is given a thousand and one years to find her one true Clow Reed! Will Sakura find her master, or will she find love instead?
1. Prologue

_Ojamashimasu!_

_Yeah, I know, I know... I've said before that I won't start another story without finishing **Pieces** first, and that is why I am feeling very much _ashamed_ of myself for breaking my literary ethics (shame on you, you horrible person! You are the reason I did this. And yes, I think we both know who you are.) But, guess what? Here I am, writing a Card Captor Sakura fanfic._

_I dedicate this story for my good friend, **Shelle** (no, I won't care if you'd kill me for writing your name here. Besides, we aren't permitted to kill.) I love her to teeny-weeny itty-bitty pieces, enough for me to break my biggest rule in writing fictions. We have only known each other in the shortest of times, and that has been enough for me to feel like we've known each other since forever. I am an only female, so I've never had the privilege to have a real sister. High school cured me of that, however, and it gave me a wonderful "twin sister" in spirits. Unfortunately, we parted ways in the darkest of terms, she leaving me with a broken heart that only being separated from your beloved siblings could give. My self-esteem was crushed. I was depressed. I thought I wasn't worthy of being a friend. But God and life gives you so much blessing that sometimes we fail to see them. He sought it best to let me have a sister again. I am very thankful for you, Shelle, even though you might not know it. You were like the sister I never had, the sister that I lost, only if you would let me be. I love you in spirit, and I hope that this little thing pleases you even a bit._

_Happy spiritual birthday!_

_Alright, enough with the sappy stuff, and on with the story!_

_Lots of love and chocolate!_

_**Sada-chan  
**_**_062105_**

* * *

_Prologue_

"No! Please, no!" the young shrine maiden pleaded with tears in her eyes. "Please don't take Yukito away from me!"

The gaping rift that was swirling in a mesmerizing blue and white spun even faster as she said this, sucking in more and more, tugging at her robes and her knee-length black hair. Yukito was fading away in the harsh light, his pale hands extending themselves towards her; an act of insufferable longing and loneliness.

Sakura stood up as best she could and dared the howling winds, reaching out blindly for her beloved's hands. Her slender fingers were aching to touch even the very tips of Yukito's fingers. Sakura's tears clouded her vision, her midnight hair billowing wildly around her. Only one word was able to form on her lips. "Yukito!" she wailed.

Behind her, Sakura's young attendant Tomoyo gripped hard onto one of the wooden pillars that were standing proudly about the ritual sanctum. Her eyes were shut tight, her jaw was clenched, but she could hear her friend's empty cries echoing around her. She opened one eye, her flaming red hair whipping at her milky face. Sakura was about to walk into the rift that the Four Guardians have opened. Panic rising within her, she held out her hand as far as she could without being eaten by the winds. "Sakura, no! Don't go in there!"

But Sakura was well being deaf. Walking numbly towards the spinning chasm, the voice of Tomoyo entered her thought and dissipated through the howling wind screaming at her. The force of the opened gateway tugged and pulled at her red priestess skirt, and at her white robes, as if begging her and coaxing her to come join her beloved inside.

Desperation finally seeping through, Tomoyo took a chance and let go of the pillar. A hundred or so forces began pulling at her all at once. She was very much overwhelmed, and she slammed to the floor hard. Reeling, Tomoyo felt like her hair was being ripped from her scalp by the sheer force at which the air was sucking her. She could feel her body sliding slowly towards the rift.

Crawling on all fours, Tomoyo inched her way very carefully towards her friend. She was not about to lose her! When Sakura was about a few feet away from the swirling doorway, Tomoyo gave a small cry of desperation, and lunged with all her strength for Sakura's feet.

Sakura fell forwards and she spun her head around, looking at her assailant. "Tomoyo! Let me go!" she shrieked, her jade eyes a mixture of fury and confusion.

Tomoyo's grip got even tighter. "No!" she shouted, ribbons of red hair flying around her delicate face. "You're not going to waste yourself by following master Yukito in there! You've got a long way to go, Sakura!" she answered, her voice as firm and steady as her grip.

Sakura's tears welled up and spilled from her eyes uncontrollably. "I _can't_ go on without him, Tomoyo, I just _can't_! How could I do this without him?" she sobbed as the rift began to slow down its spinning and fade away.

"You can _do_ this, Sakura! I'm here to help you!"

And that clinched it; the hole that took Yukito away was gone.

Hovering above the two of them, four grim faces locked their eyes on the dark-priestess. "Well done, miko," the Guardian with the long white hair spoke softly. He fluttered his glowing white wings slightly, causing one or two long feathers to fall gently. "You have passed the first part of the test."

Sakura sat up long enough for her sobs to die down. Tomoyo knelt sympathetically beside her. "Test?" the girl with the black hair sniffed.

The female Guardian with flowing candy hair nodded gingerly. "You submitted Clow Reed to the Guardians; you willingly endangered yourself to save your master; and you have brought forth a companion that would willingly endanger herself to save you," she smiled at Tomoyo as she enumerated the tests that Sakura had just passed.

The two priestesses stared helplessly at the magnificent powers that were gazing at them from above. Tomoyo had just but noticed that the sanctum was now dimly lit, unlike the pitch-black darkness it was engulfed in before. Now she could see that the room was huge; ancient but regally constructed. Pillars stood encircling a cleared chamber in the middle. Low shelves were decked around the room, and there were thousands of candles that stood atop them. Now the young attendant could see the candles being slowly lit one by one by some unknown force, making the ritual sanctum grow brighter and brighter.

"So this was all but part of the test?" Sakura asked the Four Guardians.

They all nodded in response.

She took a chance. "Then, does that mean," she started, her voice shaking. "Does that mean you'll give Yukito back?"

Sakura was met only with silence.

She bowed down her head and sobbed softly. She would never get to see Yukito again. If only she knew that partaking in this would result in her separation with her beloved, then she wouldn't have taken the candidate exam. Tomoyo could do nothing but be by her friend's side, stroking her hair and patting her back and shoulders. She wished that she could give Sakura as much support as she could, but what could she do at this time? They were at the mercy of the Guardians above them.

In the end, it was the regal yellow Guardian that spoke to her. "We cannot give you Clow Reed back, but that does not mean that you cannot be with him again," he spoke tenderly, almost purring.

The two maidens looked up at the strange and wise animal in confusion.

The yellow Guardian raised its magnificent head and spoke in an imperial voice. "Listen well, Kinomoto Sakura, the priestess of Clow Reed, for this shall be your final task."

Sakura snapped back into her old self as she was all eyes and ears in listening to what the Guardians had in store for her.

"There is only one way to prove yourself worthy to be the handmaiden of Clow," he said. "Now that Clow Reed has been taken into the heavens, you, priestess of Clow, are given one thousand and one years to go forth and search the world for your one true master... the one true Clow Reed!"

* * *

Footnote:  
Miko – Shrine maiden; priestess; sorceress.

_Grin._

_Quite a bit of a twist, isn't it? Questions and violent reactions are always welcome, and I would gladly reply to them in the next chapter. I wouldn't mind if you people don't like this... after all, this _is_ for my friend._

_Shelle-chan, you _do_ know that I won't update unless you review every chapter, right? Smirk. I know, I'm evil. And you can't do anything about it. Grins once more._

_See you next chapter!_

_Sadame X  
__Defy your destiny._


	2. Sakura Says Hello Yukito

_Ojamashimasu!_

_Bad news. Looks like our host site is pissed off by the way some of the writers reply to their reviewers. Personally, I think that sucks. I believe it's a writer's prerogative to answer her readers. But hey, I don't want my account deleted._

_So here's the thing. I will try to answer questions, suggestions and reactions via the author's notes here. I won't use specific names, and I won't answer to simple reviews, either. That way, we can tackle your problems without violating their rules._

_More bad news, my lovable brother _sold_ my PC without telling me, and so I am without a computer for more than a month now. Please take note that I am also working on my Escaflowne fic, and that _more than 20 pages of it has to be retyped due to me oafish brother's actions. _That should explain why this came out so late._

_On other news, better, I assure you, I have gotten this story a beta. Thing is, this is the first time I'll be writing a romantic comedy, and I want to make sure it will not disappoint the category (I bore myself to tears with my inane jokes)._

_So, there you have it! Let's start Sakura's journey. Enjoy!_

_Sada-chan  
__080605

* * *

_

_Part I:  
__Japan

* * *

_

_The meeting of angels, of light, of reality,  
__The meeting of forever, of love, of destiny  
__All things grand that can never be broken  
__Must always begin with one word spoken_

**Sakura Says, "Hello, Yukito,"**

A petite girl of about five-foot-three was standing all alone in the middle of a sunlight-flooded arched doorway. Her long, knee-length black hair was dancing softly in the wind, looking like ribbons of black satin. Her priestess clothes—which consisted of plain white robes and a crimson divided skirt—were slightly rumpled, blades of dew-laden grass clinging onto the hem.

A determined look was on her face, sparkling jade eyes emanating courage. The grip of her slender fingers unto the handle of the bucket tightened, her teeth gritted and jaw set.

"You won't get me that easily this time, you hear?" she announced loudly into an empty backyard.

The wind blew a little stronger, as if challenging her to prove her words. The trees danced while the soft grass bended along the mocking wind's melody. Her brows meeting closer, she took a few steps forward, ready to meet her enemy.

As she dipped her left hand into the bucket on her right, the winds suddenly died down, her long lustrous locks staying put. She pursed her lips tightly. Her foe is coming closer.

"Show yourself!" she demanded, her voice echoing slightly, making her shiver involuntarily.

And so she did. From behind the trunk of a huge Gingko tree, her enemy sauntered into the middle of the clearing in the backyard, her two shiny black eyes fixed on the young priestess' green ones. And, as if taunting her even more, she cocked her head to one side, as if asking the young priestess what her next move was.

A vein twitched somewhere on the side of her face. This female was annoying her!

"It's Showtime," she whispered determinedly. Taking a huge stride forward, she burst out. "Prepare to meet defeat!"

She charged dead on, with reckless abandon, without any reservations. When she was only a few steps away from the courageously unmoving enemy, she clutched hard at the contents of the bucket and threw it at her enemy full force.

"Take that!" she exclaimed, showering the ground with the yellowish pellets.

But her enemy was quicker than her many times over. With one swift move, the priestess' female opponent deftly ducked the barrage of pellets, stepped safely away from the charging priestess, and leapt gracefully into the air to launch her counterattack.

The young girl looked up helplessly and could only watch as her enemy descended on her. Her eyes widened. Her pulse raced. Her whole body went cold.

It was too late. Her enemy had plunged down, landed on top of her, and...

Pecked her head.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" The young priestess whined with one eye closed as the pesky hen pecked at her raven locks endlessly. "Ow! That's not fair! Cheater! _Cheater_!"

She shooed her mortal enemy and stood up abruptly, a finger imperiously pointed at the devious chicken. "I demand a rematch!" she shouted.

Bad move.

"Eep! No, not fair! That's not—hey, don't do that! You—hey, ow! That was a low blow, you little—hey, what'cha gonna do with that? I, er—no! Eek!"

The young priestess retreated behind the safety of the sliding doors towards the temple, hair rumpled with a few feathers sticking out in odd places. Her face was covered with bits of corn and chicken feed, while her clothes had the pesky little hens' claw prints all over them.

She shook a balled fist at the dozen or so fiendish fowls clucking loudly at her defeat. "You may have won the battle but the war isn't over yet!"

"Wrestling with the chickens again, Sakura?" a sweet, melodious voice said behind her.

Sakura wheeled around, fingers flicking the black strands of hair that stubbornly refused to stay anywhere than her face. She grumbled an incomprehensible reply.

"Still no luck, I see," commented breezily of the red-haired priestess.

"Those chickens are evil, Tomoyo, I tell you! _Evil_!" Sakura hissed, a piece of corn kernel dropping on her nose. "I swear, they can read through your thoughts! No sooner than I have just thought of a way to defeat them, they retaliate against it!"

An amused smile tugged at her best friend Tomoyo's lips, sparkles of mirth dancing within the confines of her lilac orbs. She shook her head gingerly. "Sometimes I ask myself who among the two of us is crazier. You for believing that the chickens are possessed with evil powers—"

"But they _are_!" protested the dark-haired girl.

"—or me, for hearing you day in and day out." Tomoyo laughed when Sakura pouted childishly. "I'm only teasing, Sakura, you know I couldn't start my day without your tales from the chicken coliseum."

Sakura pouted still. "Someday I'll get even with that devil chicken," she grunted.

Tomoyo laughed some more.

And so began another day for all the people inside Clow's temple. It was routinely for them to see the young priestess Kinomoto Sakura prepare for war with the chickens every morning, only to come inside from the backyard defeated, as always. All of them had heard her theories concerning the "devil chickens' evil powers", and they all just smiled and nodded their heads. When your life involved and revolved around a certain willful little priestess, you should always take everything with a little grain of salt.

"Good morning, Sakura! There's a feather stuck in your hair."

"Hello, Sakura! The chickens won again, eh?"

"Good morning, Sakura!" Oh, I think a hen left a present for you right there on your left foot..."

Sakura smiled curtly and mumbled a few pleasantries, wiping the smelly white goo on her foot. Tomoyo was humming a chirpy little melody behind her as they made their way to the well in the gardens to start refilling the water barrels.

Sakura had that look on her face that meant, "I'm plotting devious schemes to thwart the fiendish fowls' reign of power" when Tomoyo brought her back to reality. "Sakura?" she asked, to which the said girl blinked in surprise. "Are you sure about your decision?"

Sakura focused her verdant depths at her red-haired friend. "Which decision was that, Tomoyo?" she asked mildly.

"The decision about the candidacy," she replied softly. As much as possible, Tomoyo avoided talking about it. It was a matter that concerned her greatly, largely because of the changes it would make.

Changes that would take place on her most beloved friend.

"Oh, that," Sakura said off-handedly. "Yes, I'm sure about entering!" she exclaimed, a wide grin spilled across her face.

Tomoyo smiled weakly. _That is what I've been fearing,_ she thought.

It wasn't that she didn't want Sakura to be promoted. In fact, in her honest opinion, there was no other candidate eligible for the title than her. Sakura was an honest, sweet girl. She can be stubborn as a mule and temperamental as an ox, but she has a big, trusting heart and a sensible head on her shoulders, for most of the time.

"I see," she whispered. "That's good!"

Sakura took a sidelong glance at her best friend. "Tomoyo... are you still worried about the exam?"

Tomoyo bit her lip. The candidate exam was one of the primary reasons why she didn't want her to enter. "It's just that... it's just that I don't want you to..." _I don't want you to get killed if you fail._

"I won't fail," Sakura replied, as if reading Tomoyo's thoughts. She gave her hands a firm squeeze. "I'm going to pass the exam, so don't worry, okay?"

The red-haired Tomoyo swallowed her fears and forced a smile. "I believe you, Sakura. You're the youngest priestess ever to reach Maiden status. Your magic skills are amazing... if anyone deserves to be Clow's Handmaiden, it's you!"

A grin that almost split her skull appeared on Sakura's face. She squealed happily and hugged her best friend, swinging her from side to side.

_I believe you, Sakura..._

- - -

A few hours after lunch, Sakura found herself in the middle of the Clow Temple's formal gardens. There was a small circular clearing under her feet; it was where the priests and priestesses practiced their incantations and charms. It was in a secluded section of the place; the point where the flow of magic is at the strongest.

Eyes firmly closed and face serious, Sakura raised her hands slowly, her feet ascending on the tips of her toes as well. The circular clearing underneath her began to glow with a suffused yellow light. Ancient marks and symbols of the sun and moon appeared, rotating slowly. As she concentrated deeper, Sakura could feel the wind rushing around her, caressing her face, ruffling her hair. It tugged at her robes, pushed the soles of her feet. Sakura smiled. She felt as light as a feather.

"Practicing the Float charm?" murmured a gentle voice behind her.

Surprised, a slight jolt ran up her spine as Clow's Symbol dimmed and disappeared from under her feet, making her lose concentration. Sakura opened her eyes wide and flailed her arms as she toppled backwards, a good four feet off the ground.

With a helpless squeak, she shut her eyes tight and prepared herself for the impact of the contact with the hard ground. But as dry earth should have been the one that was supposed to claim her, Sakura was surprised when she felt a pair of strong but gentle arms encircling her.

Her hand reflexively sought guidance. It crept up his chest.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" he asked worriedly.

A universe of scents engulfed her as much as a blanket of mist engulfs the peaks of the eternal mountains during winter. It was the smell of bamboo, of rainwater, of faraway seashores. It was the scent of grass, of mint sprigs and snowstorms. It was the scent of madness, of intoxication, of mystery.

"Yukito..." Sakura moaned.

Dark lashes fluttered open as green orbs devoured brown ones. "Thank you," she said softly.

He smiled. "I must have surprised you to make you lose concentration. I apologize."

Sakura smiled, her insides doing cartwheels and loop-the-loops. "It's nothing, Yukito. It's not as if I got hurt or anything."

Yukito frowned, enhancing the sadness in his eyes. "But you _could_ have. It's my fault; I apologize. I should have been more careful."

Smiling, Sakura let the matter drop. When it comes to manners and all things genteel, no one should question or argue with Yukito—he was the very epitome of gentlemanliness.

A slow blush crept up the young priestess' neck and tinted her cheeks. She hadn't fully noticed how close they really were. Yukito's arms were around her, holding and supporting her gently but with that possessive firmness that made Sakura felt that she was his and his alone.

Her cheeks blossomed into the lovely color of summer roses.

Her eyes were fixed upon his smooth chest which was peeking over the low overlapping neckline of his light blue robe. She could feel it slowly rise and fall, in sync with his breathing. Her hands, which were softly resting upon it, could feel the even pace of his unfaltering heartbeat.

Emerald eyes bashfully fluttered upwards, meeting his gaze.

Intense chocolate orbs greeted her. Sakura felt that if it weren't for his glasses slightly obscuring his boundless orbs, she would have melted like butter right then and there. His nose was mere inches away from hers; she could feel his steady breaths fanning her face.

The temperature was rising. And it's not because of the warm spring weather, either.

When her knees were starting to buckle, and all that she wanted was to surrender completely, Sakura did the most irrational thing any self-respecting hormonally-charged female would do: she pushed him.

"Um, Yukito," she breathed, still blushing. "Thank you for rescuing me."

Obviously surprised to see her response, Yukito's eyes grew wide beneath his lenses, but he recovered quickly and returned to his original, gentle, smiling state. "You are _most_ welcome, my dear Sakura."

He held out one fine-boned hand, and Sakura eagerly accepted, slipping her creamy hand into his. Sakura noted to herself that her hand fitted Yukito's perfectly; although that opinion was wholly hers. They strolled like that through the gardens, hand in hand, admiring the beautiful spring finery. The other priests and priestesses would give them knowing looks and playful smiles, and Sakura would blush when she caught them in a glance. She couldn't stop thinking that Tsukishiro Yukito, the current heir and Master Clow Reed, would accept and _reciprocate_ her feelings towards him. She hid a smile. She felt she was the luckiest girl in the world.

Of course, that luck wasn't there right from the start. Many women who had their eyes on Clow Reed basically exploded when they heard Yukito's proposal to one lowly, dowdy, gangly, incorrigible, and all other nasty-sounding adjectives pertaining to Sakura. They couldn't stand it. They _would not_ accept it. And so, after a few challenges haughtily declared and rematches spitefully demanded, not to mention some bad backs and broken bones later, Sakura was grudgingly accepted as Yukito's most favored priestess, and all the other could do was to gnash their teeth and chew on their own livers and spleens.

Ah, sweet music.

"Might we have a bit of a chat, my love?" Yukito asked mildly, inclining his head towards her.

"Of course, Yukito," she replied. Even now, Sakura couldn't manage herself to call him "my love", even though Yukito calls her that even when others might hear. She didn't know why, but she'd blush furiously just thinking about it.

They sat on an old wooden bench underneath a huge apple tree. Sakura seated herself, followed by Yukito who sat really close, even though the bench was spacious on the opposite side. Not that she was complaining.

Their shoulders brushed against each other; Sakura could feel his warmth seeping through his clothes.

A comfortable silence came over them as the wind sighed and the apple tree whispered above them. Occasionally she'd take stolen glances at him, finding him too cute with his smile and closed eyes as he took in the garden atmosphere. Sakura blushed as she realized her eyes were lingering on his lips.

She looked away just in time when Yukito leveled his head and looked at her serenely. "I have heard the mikos talking," he started, to which Sakura gave him a lightly baffled look. "About your decision to enter the candidacy."

Sakura nodded in response. "I've also spoken with Tomoyo about it," she said softly. "She was very worried about the test, and I think that she wants me not to go on."

Yukito smiled briefly. He was also quite fond of his willful little priestess' overprotective friend, even though she used to lock Sakura's doors with three different sets to keep him from sneaking in at night. The smile widened at the memory. As if mere three locks and bolted down doors could hinder the successor of the all-powerful mage Clow Reed! There was, in fact, a window left open free for breaking-and-entering.

He looked at his beloved. "What do you think you should do?" he asked.

Sakura's emerald eyes narrowed in thought. "I do so want to continue, Yukito..." she murmured slowly, surely.

Yukito smiled silently.

The raven-haired priestess whirled around to face him fully. "What about you, Yukito?" she asked, fear shimmering within the prisons of her amazingly-colored green eyes. "What do you think I should do?"" Yukito opened his mouth to reply but Sakura cut him off. "Because if you think I shouldn't do it, then I won't do it! I won't!"

Yukito closed his gaping mouth and thought for a moment. The candidacy exam was a test designed to produce the new successor's personal priestess, the Handmaiden. Twenty candidates are put to the test using their experiences, magic, and inner strength. Yukito had his full support and faith in Sakura; he knew she could do anything no matter how many hardships there were, as long as she has her heart set to it.

But he knew that the reason many feared the candidate exam—and the reason why Tomoyo was so worried about the whole matter—wasn't about the tests; it was about the results. Only _one_ Handmaiden could be chosen by the Four Guardians, that of which shall put away all her previous responsibilities to fully devote herself to her one master. She shall be his servant, his guide, his keeper, his confidant, and on certain circumstances, his lifelong mate. She shall always be by his side, surrendering everything in her entirety to him. In other words, she will be his and his alone, and in exchange she will have the affections and power of the most powerful mage in the world at her disposal.

Having that limitless power and knowledge by your side is enough for other mikos to consider entering, let alone his love and lifelong company. And if those aren't enough, the prestige and honor of possibly rearing Clow Reed's sons were more than enough reasons for the candidates to do their very best. But there was a deeper, darker reason for them to give it their best, for nineteen of those candidates will be put to death after one Handmaiden was chosen—resulting in a solitary, unparalleled priestess set apart from the rest.

Whatever the consequences were, Tomoyo knew that she would be forever separated from her best friend, and that was what she feared the most.

But as Yukito gazed into the lovely abyss of her lush green orbs, what was he going to say? Who was he to interfere with what he believed was fate? He knew the very first time he saw the petite girl that she was designed for great things. Besides, he'd be a liar if he didn't admit to himself that it was Sakura whom he wanted to be with for the rest of his magically-extended lifetime. He loved her. His love for her cannot be contained by the mere four letters in that most powerful of emotions. He loved her, and he knew she felt the same.

Smiling gently, he took Sakura's hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. "I know deep in your heart that you want to, so I think you should. I know you can do it, Sakura, so I'm with you all the way."

Sakura gave him a warm smile, eyes twinkling. On impulse, she flung her arms around him and wrapped his middle. Yukito gasped in surprise, a pinkish tint giving color to his pale cheeks.

"I'd sacrifice _anything_ to be with you, Yukito..." Sakura mumbled.

Clow Reed's successor returned her embrace. He almost cried out in sadness. Sakura wasn't the only one giving sacrifices for the nearing exam. He had his own fears to with.

And now, how was he supposed to tell Sakura about certain things that must happen?

"Sakura," he whispered into her ear. "There's something important I need to tell you. Sit beside me at dinner."

Sakura gazed up into those drowsy brown eyes and nodded, smiling.

Seeing her cheerful smile, Yukito felt a sudden burst of relief. At least for now.

- - -

The hours rolled by quickly, and before anyone could notice, it was already dark. The wooden bowls were placed out, the chopsticks distributed, and everyone was called to the table. All the priests and priestesses lined themselves along the rows of dark mahogany tables inside the dining halls. Tomoyo sat herself two seats away from the right hand side of the head—Yukito's chair—and waited primly for their meal. Yukito came in a few seconds after, wearing that beatific smile on his face.

All the temple servants in attendance stood in respect, and resumed seating after Clow Reed had done so. Once the drone-like chatter had begun to buzz among the crowd, Tomoyo couldn't help anymore but to ask the grinning young man in irritation. "What _are_ you grinning about, Yukito?" she leaned over and whispered. After many months of persuasion, Yukito had finally managed to convince her to stop calling him Clow Reed.

His grin grew broader it almost split his skull. "I have just gotten word," he whispered back. "About the candidacy standings."

A look of pure annoyance flashed from Tomoyo's face, it was a miracle not a single vein popped in her forehead. "You used your rank and position to gather information on that secret stuff, didn't you?" she blurted out accusingly.

His grin grew even broader, if that was physically possible. "Yup."

Tomoyo gave Yukito a look that was a cross between "I can't believe you did that" and "You lucky, powerful bastard, you". That only elicited a small chuckle from him. "Well, get on with it!" she huffed. "No use in harboring secret information if you keep it all to yourself."

He winked roguishly at her. "She's in the top five."

The red-haired miko had a lot of trouble controlling the urge to squeal and pounce Yukito in his seat. The result was that the priestess produced a number of high-pitched strangling sounds which earned her a few meaningful looks from her seatmates. Now Tomoyo had that same irrepressible grin to match Yukito's. If Sakura had been grinning like the both of them, they could come in as a set.

And she did. Sakura entered the dining halls with the night's meal on a tray in her hands, wearing that smug grin which spoke volumes. She placed her tray on Yukito's table, sat herself in between him and Tomoyo, while the other kitchen helpers trailing along behind her distributed the trays to the other tables.

After they had said their graces, Tomoyo elbowed her best friend lightly in the stomach, their grins never fading away. "You look like one happy person," she commented.

Sakura's smug look hitched up a notch the thugs on the other side of the village would weep just looking at her. "Uh-huh. I never thought I could do it, but I did, and it feels wonderful!" she crowed, cackling evilly.

Yukito almost shot a pint of black tea from his nose upon hearing that cackle. "R-really?" he choked, managing his composure. "I always believed you'd make it to the top five."

Sakura blinked, then looked at him. "Top five?"

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you know... the top five candidates for the Handmaiden exam?" she supplied.

Sakura's gaze swiveled to her. "Candidate exam?" she looked across the two of them. "Is that what you were so happy about?"

"Well, yeah..." Tomoyo mumbled, quite dumbfounded. "We thought you also knew since you were grinning like a... well, like an idiot—" Sakura pouted, Yukito chuckled and Tomoyo giggled. "—but it seems you don't..." she hesitated. "Doesn't that make you happy?"

The raven-haired priestess chirped up. "Of course it does! That's wonderful news! But that's only the icing on the cake!" she grinned.

Yukito and Tomoyo blinked at each other. "Why? What's got you so happy about?"

Sakura grinned so evilly, those thugs that were weeping at the sight of her must have entered a Tibetan convent by now. "I finally found a way to get even with those devil chickens."

Yukito lifted his lips from the rim of his teacup. "Devil chickens?"

Tomoyo waved her hand flippantly at him. "The hens at the backyard, she thinks they're possessed with the spirits of evil underworld gang lords," she explained exasperatedly, making Yukito fully choke on his tea. "So? What did you do to get even? Cut their tail feathers short? Nail filed their beaks? Replaced their feeds with peppercorns?"

Sakura just gave a saucy, smug toss of her head, picked up her chopsticks and nibbled on the sticky rice, her face a look of pure contentment. Puzzled, Yukito and Tomoyo looked at each other, blinking. They both sighed in resignation and decided to finish their meal. As they picked up their chopsticks to eat, they stopped, Sakura cackling in the background.

Grilled chicken.

* * *

_There are a million possibilities, a thousand meanings, and a hundred beginnings out of a single hello.

* * *

_

_Comments, questions, suggestions, violent reactions are always welcome. May I remind you that I will not update until you have replied? Grin. You're welcome._

_Lots of love and chocolate!_

_Sadame X  
__Defy your destiny._


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